The invention described and claimed herein is a Bedside-ready Patient Ambulatory Device to facilitate not only a patient's easy movement about but also to facilitate the patient in leaving the bed and initiating such movement. In many instances patient recovery is closely related to the patient becoming ambulatory so as to gain muscle strength, good circulation, proper digestion and enhanced respiration and oxygen intake. Doctors and hospitals frequently encourage patients to become ambulatory as soon as possible after an operation or serious illness. Frequently, however, it is not possible for patients to simply leave a prone position in bed and walk by themselves. It is frequently necessary for patients to have assistance in walking while having access to oxygen, in vivo treatments administered from intravenous equipment support poles (I.V. poles) or oxygen enriched air. While many devices have been proposed in the past no single light-weight, extremely stable bedside-ready mobile support system transport devices like the present invention have heretofore been proposed. The invention which is the subject of this application is just such a system and is ideal for use by ambulatory or recovering patients.
The typical drip stand I.V. pole, while serving the function of enabling the use of various drugs to be intravenously administered is frequently too unstable to be used as a bedside device. Other devices while perhaps more stable suffer from other shortcomings such as an inadequate adjustable patient handle as a primary patient support means which can be elevated or lowered to a convenient bedside height. The convenient adjustable patient handle of the present invention is mounted to a vertically, upwardly extending I.V. pole which is supported by a crossbar support assembly on a base frame member from a central location amid the base frame member and cross support bar to give superior stability to the adjustable patient handle while allowing easy access by the patient to the ambulatory device by simply sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling himself forward.
The handle is unique in that it provides easy access from either side or the rear of the ambulatory device.
The bedside-ready ambulatory device is sturdy but light-weight and is designed with its principal structure and mass at or below bedside level to provide superior stability.
The beside-ready patient ambulatory device is ideal for short trips to the bathroom and readily enables the patient to move backward with the device being wide enough so that the patient can sit on a bathroom commode and yet not lose the ability to use the device to regain a prone position at a later time.
The bedside-ready patient ambulatory device is also able to accommodate patients not only upon arising and becoming mobile but it facilitates such mobility by enabling a patient to continue to remain mobile during extended ambulation under conditions where treatments such as intravenous administration of nourishment, medication, blood plasma, oxygen or catheterization equipment are needed.